Toy fish



H. RUBIN TOY FISH mm mm Filed Feb. 12, 1949 RNVEN'TOR ATTO R N EY Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY FISH Herbert Rubin, New York, N. Y.

Application February 12, 1949, Serial No. 76,057

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in toy fish adaptable to be employed in magnetic fishing games where instead of a hook member dependent from a pole, a magnetic member dependent therefrom is employed to catch the fish.

Presently, toy fish employed in magnetic fishing games are either constructed of buoyant materials or of two side members sealed along their edges to contain a pocket of air. In either instance, in order to have the fish fioat in an up right position and thus present a realistic appearance when placed in water a weight must be insertedin or affixed to the lower portions thereof. In both instances the manufacturing procedures are relatively expensive.

An object of my invention is to provide a fiat toy fish for use in a magnetic fishing game which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fiat toy fish for use in a magnetic fishing game made substantially of a heavier-than-water material but having simple buoyant means to enable the same to present a realistic appearance by floating in an upright manner when placed in water.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the foregoing statement of the objects of my invention is intended to generally explain the same without limiting it in any manner Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a toy fish embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof taken along line 33 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the toy fish floating in a tank of water and fishing means which may be employed in connection therewith.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment of my invention shown comprises a thin body member H shaped to present the lateral outline of a fish, buoyant means E2 affixed to the upper portion of said body member by a rivet, l3 of magnetic material.

The body member is preferably cut from a relatively thin plastic sheet and the front portion thereof is marked with lines to indicate mouth, eye, fin, gill opening and tail fin areas. The rear portion thereof is preferably left blank although it may be similarly marked. The plastic sheet from which it is cut is made of a material having a specific gravity greater than unity so that if it were not for buoyant means affixed thereto the fish would not ordinarily fioat in water, but would sink to the bottom.

The buoyant means [2 may be preferably an annular cork or rubber member and is preferably affixed to the upper portion of the body member II by a metallic rivet l3. The amount of cork or rubber or the like is determined by the relative specific gravities of the material of which the body member H and the rivet I3 are constructed and it is so chosen that when the fish is placed in water, the dorsal portion M just cuts the surface of the water. The said buoyant means I2 is placed above the horizontal axis of the body member H so that when the fish is placed in water, the body member H will fioat upright, thus placing the ventral portion I5 of the body member substantially vertically underneath the dorsal portion Hi.

The rivet I3 is made of a magnetic material such as steel in order that the fish may be removed from the water by magnetic means.

The toy fish is intended to be used in connection with a toy fishing pole l6 from which depends by a line H magnetic means I 8. The magnetic means may be an Alnico or similar magnet.

In playing a game with the toy fish, a bowl l9 may be filled with water and the fish permitted to float therein. The player employs fishing pole l6 and attempts to bring the magnetic means I8 close enough to the rivet I3 to attract the same to it and of course, when the same are brought in contact the fish may be pulled from the water by elevating the pole. In order to permit the players to score the game, body member ll of each toy fish so employed may be made of variously colored plastics and each color may be given a different score value. As a variant, each toy fish may contain a number indicating a score value.

The fact that the body member II! may be stamped from a thin sheet of plastic enables the maker to minimize the cost factors in the manufacture thereof. In addition, in the embodiment shown, the buoyant means l2 and the rivet I3 are affixed in one operation. Here again the cost factor is kept at a minimum. Further, although the component parts are simple to make and assemble, the fish presents a natural appearance when placed in water for it floats in a substantially upright position.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that numerous alterations and changes may be made without depart- 3 ing from its spirit. Thus, the buoyant means [2 need not be aifixed to the body member II by rivet l3 but might be afiixed to the said body member by an adhesive, in which event it would then be necessary to afiix separately to the body member H some magnetic material so that the fish could be attracted to magnetic means I8. Likewise, buoyant means l2 may be afiixed to the body member H by a connecting means of magnetic material other than the rivet l3. So long as such connectingmeans contains sufiicient mass to permit removal of the fish from water by engagement thereof with magnetic means ES and a subsequent lifting of fishing pole it, the

particular nature, size and shape of such connecting means may be varied. Again, while the rivet I3 is shown to be hllow, in Viewv of the fact that the fish is intended to be used in connection with a magnetic fishing game, theheadof the rivet might be solid. In this event there wouldbe a larger area of magnetic material exposed to engagement. by magnetic means 58; Then, too, thebody member ll need-not be made of plastic but could be made of any water resistant composition; Of course, it is alsopossible; to magnetize the rivet, in which: event the fish couldthen be removed-from water upon engagement withablochofginagnetic material suspended from the fishingpolez' While, the: embodiment of my invention shown revealsza; toy fish, it is obvious that body member iji'maybe so shaped as to indicate or-suggest any-other aquatic animal-such asan eel, reptile, crab" or the like, and when in the claims the term toy. fish? is used it shall be deemed to include other .such toy.- aquatic animals.

Although IhaVe described my invention with a certain degree-of particularity, it-is understood thatt'ne present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous additional changes-in. the details of-"construction, combinationand iarrangement' of parts may be resorted to without transcending the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed;

I claim-as my invention:

1; A toy fish, for use --in-connection with a toy fishing pole havingmagnetic means dependent therefrom, comprising a substantially thin and fiat body member-having a, specific gravity greater than unityand being shaped to present the outline-of a-fish, connectingmeans'of magnetic material affixed-through the upper portion of said body-member; and buoyant means sufiicient to fioatiat'l'east a part of the'dorsal portion of-the fish, afiixed by said connecting means to said 4 body member, said connecting means and buoyant means being so positioned that the fish will fioat upright in water.

2. A toy fish, as described in claim 1 hereof, the mass of said connecting means being sufficient in amount to enable the removal of the fish from water upon engagement thereof with said magnetic means.

3. A toy fish, for use in connection with a toy fishing-pole having magnetic means dependent therefrom; comprising a substantially thin and fiat body member having a specific gravity greater than unity and being shaped to present the outline of a fish, a rivet or magnetic material aflixed through the upper portion of said body member and buoyant means sufficient to float at least a part. of the, dorsal portion of the fish, aflixed by said rivet to said body member, the said rivet andbuoyant means being so positioned that the fish will fioat upright in water.

4: Aptoyfish; as described in claim :3, theimass of:said;rivet being sufiicient in amount to enable the removal of the. fish; from vwater 1uponenga ement. thereof with said magnetic means;

5. Aztcyfish, for: use inconnectionwitha toy fishing pole having. magnetic: meansdependent therefrom, comprising. a. substantially-thin;- and fiatizbody member having a specific gravitygreater than -.unityand being shaped to .present thecoute line one, fish, a rivet offmagneticmaterialaffixed throughvan upper portion .of said bodycmembcr, annular buoyant means .of aasubstan'tially nonpressure-responsive. material and s-uffi'ciently buoyant to float at: least aspartof the dorsal portion of the fish-affixed by said'rivet to said body: member, said rivet and buoyant means being-so positionedthatthe fish will float upright in water.

6 A-to fish, asdescribedinclaim 5; the mass of said.rivet being suflicient in amounttoenable the removal of the fish-from water upon'engagement thereof with-said magnetic means.

HERBERT RUBIN:

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'of recordiin' the file oftnispatent':

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 420,149 Elson Jan; 28;- 1890 450395 Boynton .A-pr.14, 1891 464,391 Samuels Dec. 1, 1891 2,018,038 Steinberg Oct. 22, 1935 2,290,067 Parsons July- 14,1942 

